The Bachelor DIY Valentines

Like the rest of America, we are Bachelor obsessed in the Bower house.  It’s the only thing that is a MUST-WATCH right now that isn’t on Netflix…and of course, I have my weekly text-fest afterward with girlfriends about who is our favorite, who said what, who is our picks to win and how they really need to make a ‘CRAZY’ season and invite Corinne, nutty Ashley S., Tierra, Vienna, Courtney R. and Ashley I. as the host.  I really think I have a winning idea here.  Imagine the ratings!

Anyhoo.  It only seemed logical that I would make some homemade valentines completely dedicated to my favorite falling-in-love show.  This trio of cute Bachelor-inspired cards are PERFECT for your little one to give to teachers, aunts, grandma’s and all their loved ones.  Weston volunteered for this super easy photoshoot in the driveway and was very excited about looking “handsome”.  Check out that enthusiasm!

I simply clamped a red blanket to the bottom of our garage door and let the little ham go nuts.  We ended up with a ton of hilarious options….and three fairly Bachelor-esque options that seem perfectly HIM.

Looking back, I probably should have done a different color blanket…like gray or something that wouldn’t cast color on him in case I wanted to change the background up.  But live and learn.

And are you ready for the MOST DRAMATIC reveal in Valentine DIY history?

In the words of every contestant ever at the first cocktail party….”I think I’m in love.”  Seriously though….is that not the cutest?  I think Chris Harrison would totally approve.

My favorite is the WILL YOU ACCEPT THIS ROSE? card….I will show you my easy way to cut out the subject from the red background in a minute….

A crowd favorite is the Valentines day card with the red background.  I’ll show you how to get that burned edge look too!

And last but certainly not least is the Right Reasons card…and I assume the reason Weston is here is for the candy 🙂  The best part about all of these is that you can shoot the pictures without a flower (I just simply had Weston hold a toothpick) and then you can tape a chocolate flower to the card to act like he is presenting the recipient with the beloved rose.

I got a dozen chocolate roses at my local Walgreens and I just split them up to tape them separately.

Okay let’s get into some of my best tips to recreate these cards at home…because this post is really a photoshop post more than anything else.

AN EASY WAY TO CUT OUT YOUR SUBJECT IN PHOTOSHOP

After uploading the images, I simply cut out Weston in photoshop by removing him from the colored background.  First open your photo in photoshop, then select the Magic Wand Tool and making sure the tolerance is set to 40….

Then click on the background color.  That is why this is helpful to hang a single colored blanket.  Make sure you also select the gaps in between arms and legs where you can still see the blanket.

Then go to SELECT>INVERSE.  This will switch your selection from all of the background to all of the subject.

Then I like to just create a new layer with my selection.  You can get fancy and feather your edge or soften it with options under SELECT>MODIFY but I don’t usually do that.

Then paste your new subject onto whatever color you like.  The black background is especially striking.  I usually just create a new layer to make the background color.

THE WAY TO GET THAT BURNED EDGE / SPOTLIGHT EFFECT IN PHOTOSHOP

In the valentines day card, you can see that it looks like Weston has a spotlight on him.  This is a really easy way to add that without any light bulbs 🙂  Select the layer that you want to add the spotlight to and then go to FILTER>RENDER>LIGHTING EFFECTS.

That will open a new window and select POINT in the properties box.  I like to have my intensity up high enough to show a spotlight but not blow out the skin color.  And then click on the circle to drag it bigger or smaller.  Ta-da!  You are the winner!

Last but not least, I used the newest Canon crafting all-in-one printer (Canon TS8020 wireless printer)to make all the prints.  Did you see yesterday’s giveaway?  Better check that one out HERE!  You need this compact beauty and it comes in a variety of colors.  All of you know how much I LOVE my Canon printers.  Like it’s a let’s-get-married-on-national-television-kinda-love.   Seeing my little Munchkin with his rose, it made my heart flutter.  This picture perfect printer definitely gets my first impression rose.

And if you make these cards at home and you don’t fall in love – you might just be Juan Pablo 🙂

But wait!  There’s more!  This is a special two hour episode because I made making the valentines oh-so-easy.  If you choose to forego your current valentine plans, I am offering you a fantasy suite of free templates for you to use.  See what I did there? 🙂

TEMPLATE 1

TEMPLATE 2

TEMPLATE 3

This is my first foray into the world of DIY Valentines just by printing them out on 4×6 photo paper…but I can already see our future together.  At first, I was literally like a single girl stepping out of a limo.  There were smiles, flirty words, maybe a dirty joke or two.  This craft definitely gets my first impression rose 🙂

Now – I need to know….what are y’all doing for the kiddos on Vday?  We bought the kids little boxes of chocolate and some other candy and I think we are gonna make them a fancy dinner of heart shaped pancakes and rose shaped candles and fruit on cupid’s arrows 🙂  But I’m always looking for other good ideas….anybody?  I’d love to hear them!